WINGED CREATURES

US, 2008, 100 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Kate Beckinsale, Forest Whitaker, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Embeth Davidtz, Troy Garity, Josh Hutcherson, Jackie Earle Haley, Jennifer Hudson, Tim Guinee, James Le Gros, Beth Grant, Kathleen Wilhoite.
Directed by Rowan Woods.

Winged Creatures was also called Fragments. The winged creatures refers to the symbol of birds who flutter during the film, crash into windows, and yet are creatures of beauty who sing. It is symbolic of the range of people whose lives interact in the film. On the other hand, the film is made up of fragments of memories of people involved in a shooting in a diner.

The film was directed by Rowan Wood, Australian director of The Boys and Little Fish.

The film has a very strong cast, a range of character actors including Guy Pearce as a doctor who does good but lacks confidence, Dakota Fanning and Josh Hutcherson as two teenagers who hide under the tables during the shooting and who have a secret as to what happened in terms of Dakota Fanning’s father and his alleged heroism. Jeanne Tripplehorn is the mother, Embeth Davitz the migraine-ridden wife of the doctor. Interesting character actors like Jackie Earle Haley and Jennifer Hudson are in the film as the father of Josh Hutcherson and the daughter of Forest Whitaker.

The film is set in a small American town, in a peaceful diner one morning. People go about their ordinary business, especially Kate Beckinsale as the waitress in the diner. The doctor even holds the door open for a deranged man who comes into the diner and goes on a shooting spree.

The bulk of the film consists of the memories of the different characters, the doctor wondering whether he could have helped somebody in the hospital after the shooting, administering medication to his wife which gets rid of her migraines but has terrible side effects, making her dependent on him. The young girl gets religion and professes the heroism of her father, finally revealing that in fact he was frightened of the situation. The young boy, whose brother is in coma from Iraq, clashes with his parents. The waitress has a baby whom she can’t deal with, clashes with the father of the boy, gets a crush on the doctor. Forest Whitaker escapes wounding, goes on a gambling spree while his daughter, Jennifer Hudson, searches for him.

There is quite a lot of material for the hundred minutes, interesting character studies and people’s reaction to crises, as well as the interactions and people dealing or not dealing with them.

1. The title, the reference to the birds, the images of the birds? The images of moths as winged creatures? Their freedom, vulnerability, parallel with the humans? The images of the birds and moths?

2. The title, fragments? Pieces and connections? Lives broken by the killing?

3. The location photography of the town, the diner and its interiors, the different homes, the hospital, the environs? Real? The world of the casino, a different world? The musical score?

4. The framework of the film: Anne and her mother, driving, the mother and her concern for her daughter, the impassive reaction of the daughter? The insights into Anne and her mother, her father? The end, the driving – and Anne’s future?

5. The diner, the customers, Carla and her phone call, Charlie and his coming in, the reactions, people hiding, Carla trying to get to the phone, the deaths, the suicide of the killer?

6. The hospital, the victims, the coat and the buttons, the doctors and their work, trying to save lives, failure? The effect on Doctor Laraby? The support from Doctor Howard?

7. The witnesses, the police, the interrogations? The police sealing off the site? Abler, insurance, his role (and his name, symbol)? Talking with people, their reluctance to talk? The need for therapy? The variety of reactions?

8. The fragments, the way the film connected them?

9. Carla, her age, work, at home? Her relationship with her mother? The babysitter? Her response to the baby, at work, the baby hungry, crying? Her going to the doctor, the visits, becoming dependent on him, emotional? His help? The doctor not noticing her? The embrace? Going out, the dancing? The doctor and play? The father of the baby, her clashes with him? The effect of the experience on her and her inexperience?

10. Doctor Laraby at work, Doctor Howard, Carla and her visits, the effect on Laraby, his relationship with his wife, her migraines, Googling the information, the tablets and the medication, inserting the medication, his care for his wife? The danger, her not being at home, her work and going to the home site? The phone calls, Doctor Laraby saving his wife, loving her – yet making her dependent?

11. Jimmy, his age, friendship with Anne, presence in the diner? His relationship with his parents, his being silent, his chatting on the computer, witnessing the death? His parents and their continual fighting? His brother, Iraq, the coma? Trying to bond with his father, his father’s attempts, their working together? His not wanting to talk to Abler? Revisiting, the emergence of the truth?

12. Anne, her mother, being tough, the religious dimension, praying, leading the school groups, talking, her hardening attitude? Her mother and her concern? The truth about her father, his wetting himself, his fear, the Coca-Cola?, her pretending?

13. Charlie, his gambling, thinking he had a lucky escape, not being harmed? His daughter, home, concern for her father? The wound, going to the casino, thinking he had a stroke of luck, his winnings? The temptation, the cheque, losing everything? The doctor, his health? His continued attempts at success? His daughter, her character, searching for him?

14. The aftermath of the event, its impact on each of the lives? Their futures?